Understanding Christmas
by the-vampire-act
Summary: OneShot. After Rossi and Reid find out that their flights have been cancelled, they- reluctantly- spend the holiday together. No slash implied. Written for Fairytopia!


**This was written for the Chit Chat on Author's Corner Contest. I'll admit; had never heard of Fairytale of New York' before I Googled it! It's pretty epic! This is for the always-lovely Fariytopia! Merry Christmas, and I hope you like it!**

**Understanding Christmas**

To say that Spencer Reid was cold would be a vast understatement. Being born in Las Vegas and later migrating to Quantico, he still wasn't quite used to the snowy, cold weather that came during the Virginia winters, and now, as he sat opposite of David Rossi in his over-sized truck, he was reminded of that.

David Rossi's eyes glanced over at his younger companion, and he tried to suppress the growing smirk that was forming on his face. Spencer was more 'delicate' than he was, and he had made it his duty to change that. But as he heard the younger agent cough and promptly blow his nose, he started to second-guess his idea. He knew that Spencer wasn't yet used to the cold weather, and he hadn't built up immunity to many things that local Virginians had.

"Do you have any more Kleen-X?" Spencer mumbled. Despite the layers upon layers of clothes he was currently wearing, he found that he was still freezing. David sighed as he pointed between the two seats, and Spencer immediately reached for it.

Finally, David sighed and pulled over to the side of the icy road. Spencer raised his eyebrows and frowned.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

David shook his head as he turned to face Spencer. Suddenly, he gently placed his hand on his forehead and sighed as he pulled it away. "Yeah, something is wrong," he nodded. "You're spiking a fever."

"Yeah, I already know that," Spencer glared. "I was going to have a nice, relaxing weekend with my mother before you pulled me away."

"Your flight was canceled, Spencer!" David sighed. "You know what? Never mind; we're just turning around and getting you home…" When David looked up, he saw that Spencer was smiling. "What?"

"No one ever calls me Spencer. It's nice to hear it," he admitted. "And we're not turning around. We're both going to be alone, so we mine as well just stay together for the holidays."

"_Spencer, _we are taking you home," David reiterated. Spencer just shook his head, and David finally decided to give in. "Your funeral," he sighed.

"Thank you," Spencer huffed. He smiled as he felt the car start moving again, and as David pulled back into the right-side lane, he closed his eyes and fell to sleep.

Dave watched as Spencer closed his eyes, and he frowned after he was reassured that his company had fallen to sleep. He turned back to the road as his mind wandered back to what had lead the man to be seated- or sleeping, rather- next to him in the first place. Spencer's flight to Vegas had been canceled, he had learned, after he himself had gone to the airport. He was going to go to his hometown for the small break off so he could get away from the job and hunt by himself for a while. Although he had an area for hunting in Virginia, he also had one back home, and he had been neglecting it for too long now. He was actually looking forward to the trip, but, as he soon realized, he wasn't the only BAU member who was grounded for the holidays. Deciding that he would rather have company for the winter season and that Spencer would most likely feel the same way, he had showed up at the younger man's door with a smile on his face. Spencer was reluctant at first, he admitted, but after a few sighs and grumbles, the agent finally gave in.

It was now evident to Rossi that he should have let Reid stayed home; he was obviously sick, and he didn't need to be out on traveling in the chilly weather right now. He tried to forget about his troubled companion, though, and he tried his best to enjoy the ride to his cabin. Sure, he had been planning on hunting, but he was sure that he could find something to do with Reid. Maybe he could teach the kid how to hunt or ice fish if he was feeling better, and if not, then they could enjoy the quietness of his cabin in the middle of nowhere. He was certain that with their job Reid didn't get out much, and having an absentee father growing up and not being on the team nearly as long as the other SSA's, he was actually looking forward to 'bonding' man-to-man with Reid, that was, if Reid would be willing.

"Damn it," Rossi muttered as he drove over a large bump, shaking the entire car. He watched as Reid started to stir in his seat but was thankful that he hadn't woken up. He allowed his foot to prop off the gas petal a little, knowing that Reid would need the sleep that he was currently attaining. One more large bump could wake him up, and he wasn't willing to chance that. Besides, he had a feeling he would miss the peace and quiet that the car offered. Reid was, after all, a walking encyclopedia.

~*Merry Christmas *~

"Come on Reid; it's time to wake up." Rossi gently nudged the younger man as he parked the car, causing him to moan. Rossi chuckled lightly before hopping out of the car and walking around toward Reid's side. He opened the door and helped the younger man out of the car less than steadily. Reid hissed as Rossi let go, nearly collapsing. "Should have brought your cane; I didn't even think about that."

"Yeah, neither did I," Reid frowned. "I'll be fine."

"I sure hope so," Rossi mumbled to himself.

As Rossi went around to the back of the car, Reid took the opportunity to look around him. The wooded area was beautiful; all around them pure white snow fell and piled on top of the ground beneath them. Birds chirped merrily as rustling noises off in the distance echoed toward the single cabin house behind them. Reid could understand why Rossi would want to hunt in this particular area, because even if he didn't get in a good hunt, he could still relax just fine.

"You sure you're up to this, kid?" Rossi asked again. He couldn't help but notice Reid's slight limp that was most likely caused from trying to curl up on the car seat, and the even paler than usual shade made his face look almost ghostly. Rossi didn't bother waiting for a response; instead he easily hauled the two go-bags to the porch of the cabin and jiggled the keys into the hole before turning the handle. He motioned for Reid to walk inside first, and the younger man hesitantly did so.

Spencer's jaw dropped as he took in the sight before him. The cabin was two-stories and decorated with Christmas reds and golds. The large hallways were elegant as they proudly displayed awards and honors, photographs and memories. The long rug striping down the main hallway matched the red of the curtains draped over the large windows. A modest chandelier hung in the supposed living room, where a large Christmas tree was displayed as the center of attention. Around the corner, a large kitchen with an even larger wine rack lined the walls. Everything was decorated for the holidays, and Spencer had the feeling that it was always Christmas in Rossi's cabin.

"I only come here once a year, Christmas time, and I honestly don't feel like dragging these decorations into and out of storage every time I come here. The purpose of this cabin is to relax, enjoy yourself, not get frustrated with damned decorations." Rossi quickly explained. "Come on, I have a spare room upstairs you can use." Spencer just nodded and followed him up the stairs.

"If you didn't want to bother with taking decorations down and up, why decorate in the first place?" Spencer frowned as he carefully climbed up the small set of stairs. It was still enough, he noted, to make his knees hurt. For that, he did regret agreeing to come, but on the other hand, he had a strange feeling that he soon would find that he was glad he had in fact came.

"Tradition, I guess," Rossi sighed. He paused as he lugged Spencer's bag down the slim hallway and into the first door on the left. He propped the door open for Spencer and waited for him to catch up with him so he could continue. "My family was religious, and although I'm not quite sure you could call me a religious man, there are still some things I'd rather not give up."

Spencer kept his mouth shut about the subject; understanding that there were a few things that people did that he would just never fully comprehend. One of the disadvantages about being a genius, he had once thought, was that you over-analysis so many things and you miss some of the most obvious conclusions.

"What about you?" Rossi asked. "You celebrate Christmas?"

"Well...Yeah, I guess," Spencer responded. "I put a tree up, send out gifts...Society's lost the true meaning of Christmas, though, and ever since I left Las Vegas for college, I haven't really thought about that."

"The true meaning of Christmas," Rossi clarified, half-question, half-statement. Spencer once again just nodded.

"Where should I put these?" Spencer asked, referring to his coat and messenger bag.

"Oh, you could either keep them in here or I can take them to the hall closet," Spencer took that as permission to lay them down on the bed. "Let's go downstairs," Rossi nodded. "You look like you could use a good meal...or eight," Rossi smirked. A small smile formed over Spencer's mouth before he started coughing again, and after he finished, he caught up with Rossi in the kitchen.

"I didn't know you cooked," Spencer stated.

"Yeah, well, I get sick of take-out after a while, you know?" Rossi smiled. "And besides, I've picked up a few good recipes over the years. Maybe I could show you a few things." Rossi tossed some vegetables together as he talked to the younger man; he somewhat glad he had someone to talk to.

"Gideon tried to 'show me a few things' as well, and he finally gave up on me after a few hours in the kitchen," Spencer smirked. "I don't think you'll have the patience to deal with me."

"I'm not Gideon, " Rossi reminded. His voice was serious, just as Spencer's own had been. He had sensed a deeper meaning to the statement, and he wasn't sure he liked what Spencer was getting at. "So you two were pretty close, huh?"

"He was my mentor," Spencer nodded, "but he's not anymore."

Rossi decided it would be best to leave that statement alone; he knew better than to pry into Spencer's life, especially when he was sick and vulnerable. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Do you have any scotch?" Spencer smirked.

"I think I can handle that request," Rossi smiled. He quickly picked up a bottle from behind him and expertly poured the liquid into two large glasses. He slid one glass over to Spencer as he finished spicing the vegetables so he could cook them later on. "I'd ask you if you'd like to help, but I don't think that's a good idea the way you're coughing."

"Yeah, probably for the best," Spencer agreed. "Unless you want to get sick too."

"No, that's okay," Rossi lightly laughed.

Spencer was having a hard time keeping himself awake, and Rossi was starting to notice that, too. Every so-often, the younger agent would lean against the counter and close his eyes, blink them open, and then sit back up. Finally, Rossi sighed and pointed up the stairs.

"What?" Spencer frowned.

"You need to get some sleep," Rossi said. "Go upstairs and do that; I'll wake you up when it's done."

"Are you sure...?"

"Kid, I've been watching you go in and out of sleep basically for thirty minutes now; go take a proper nap before you make me tired as well," he ordered. Spencer sighed, but he stood up from his stool anyways. Without protest, he fumbled his way up the stairs and into the guest room.

~* Merry Christmas *~

Of course, Spencer Reid didn't actually try to sleep. Instead he simply closed the door to his guest room and explored the room around him. In the closet laid two boxes, one marked 'wives' and the other, well, 'other'. Spencer smirked as he reached for the other box; he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know what was in the 'wives' box. Carefully, he lifted the box on top of the bed and popped off the lid. A frown formed over his face as he examined the contents, or _content _of the box. Spencer gently picked up the smaller box inside and flapped its wing open.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice from behind him asked. Spencer jumped as he turned around, then he sighed when he realized it was just Rossi. The older profiler entered the room and sat down on the bed with him. "You didn't go through the other box, did you?"

"Uh, no. To be honest, I was afraid to," Spencer blushed.

"It's for the best," Rossi nodded. Then, he turned his attention back to the homemade Christmas ornament. It was a clear gold, glass bulb with 'Rossi' written in elegant script on the front side. It was obvious to Spencer that the trinket was homemade, and special, of course. He waited for Rossi to explain, and with a sigh, he did just that.

"It's a family heirloom, I suppose. My great grandfather received it as a gift from his future wife. Allayne was her name, I think; she made it for him their first Christmas as a couple. They were, uh, stranded in the middle of nowhere after they had to check into a hotel when a bad snowstorm stopped them from traveling. She made ornaments and other glass objects for a living, mainly vases, I believe. Times were rough, so they had agreed to go home for the holidays and just make gifts. He was a chief, so he ended up making her a feast for Christmas," Rossi explained.

"That sounds nice," Spencer nodded. "Growing up, Mother didn't really celebrate Christmas, especially after my dad left." Rossi frowned, saddened by the fact that he could actually picture little Spencer Reid trapped in his house for Christmas as his mother locked herself up in her room.

The sound of 'Fairytale of New York' filled the air, and Rossi sighed as he realized it was his cell phone. "I really wish Garcia would leave my damn cell phone alone," he muttered. Spencer laughed at that. "Hello?...Yeah, okay...No, just leave it where it is; I have no idea when I'll write again...Merry Christmas to you to."

"Who was that?" Spencer asked.

"My publisher. She wanted to know when or if I'd have a new book ready soon," Rossi shrugged. "Do you have any Christmas traditions?" he asked, shifting the conversation back again.

"Uh, yeah, actually," Spencer said. He reached across the bed to his messenger bag and pulled out an old envelope. He passed it to Rossi, who was already starting to tear inside it.

The old Christmas letter contained a picture of a child and a younger-looking William Reid. Diana Reid had her arms wrapped around the two men, and they were all smiling. Rossi couldn't help but smile himself, but as he opened the letter, he frowned.

Spencer,

I'm sorry I can't be with you for Christmas, even if I doubt you'll forgive me. I hope you two are doing well, and maybe I'll see you soon.

Take care,

William Reid

The letter infuriated Rossi, and he could only imagine how Spencer had felt. He was saddened at the thought of little Spencer Reid staring out the window with the same letter he now held in his hands while his mother's mind wasted away in the convenience of her own bedroom. He felt angry that Spencer had been denied so much as a child, but yet was expected to put up with so much at the same time. He looked back at Spencer, who was once again curled up in a ball on the bed with a miserable look on his face. He hated how vulnerable Spencer became, and he wished he could do something to stop it.

"Why don't you try to actually sleep before dinner? I just put some more food in the oven, and you'll have at least another two hours before it's done. I'll wake you up when it's all ready, okay?" Dave asked. Even to his own ears he sounded like he was speaking to a child, and he couldn't tell if Spencer took comfort in that or was just too tired to comment because all he did was nod his head and close his eyes. David gently put his ornament back in its proper place and placed Spencer's messenger bag on the floor. He silently crept out of the room and closed the door behind him.

As soon as Dave was back in the kitchen, he whipped out his cell phone and dialed the too-familiar number. He waited for the person on the other end to answer, and as a 'hello' sounded off through the other end of the phone, David started at his dilemma. "I've got a problem, Hotch."

"Dave, just tell her that your wife'll be back home soon and that she needs to go home-" Hotch sighed.

"No, not this time," David glared. "I'm at my hunting cabin with Spencer," he hissed.

"Oh Dave, I'm okay with you liking guys, but you and Reid would practically be rape...Wait, did you call him Spencer?"

"Ha ha. And it's not like that! Our flights' were cancelled, and I didn't feel right leaving him alone for Christmas. Besides, he's sick now, too," Rossi explained.

"Yeah, and what do you want me to do about it?"

"He showed me a card that his dad bought him. It's pretty bad, Hotch. I think the reason why he doesn't celebrate Christmas is because he associates it with his father abandoning him."

"Why don't you cook him a nice meal, show him around your fancy cabin, and show him how real families celebrate Christmas? I can't help you on this one, Dave. I have to go; Jack and I are baking gingerbread men."

"Sorry, just needed to talk something through," Rossi nodded.

"Anytime Dave...Just not now." With a chuckle from both men, they hung up.

Dave leaned against the counter of his kitchen, waiting for the timer to go off. As he waited, he pulled out a folder from his drawer. He then picked up a pen and stared scribbling more ideas for a future story. He smiled as he came across one that stood out to him, and he wrote a heading on the top of a new piece for paper: 'Profiling Profiles: The Faces of the BAU.'

~* Merry Christmas *~

David woke Spencer up about three hours later. Carefully, he shook his shoulder and watched as his eyes opened. The dim glow of the indoor fairy lights were much more easier for Spencer's eyes to adjust to, and he was thankful for that at least. After a few seconds, he sat up in the bed and watched David smile. "I hope you're ready to eat; I made enough food to feed the BAU," he joked. Spencer smiled at the bad attempt at a joke, knowing that he couldn't have done any better. He nodded his head and followed David back to the kitchen.

~* Merry Christmas *~

After dinner, Spencer and David camped out in the living room, listening to Christmas music and reading as a fire burned to keep them warm. Rossi could tell that Spencer wasn't actually reading, though. His eyes kept wandering, and he wasn't turning the pages fast enough. He was obviously not focused enough to, and that alone was a bad sign.

"What's on your mind?" David asked.

"Huh? Oh, a few things," Spencer sighed.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really,"

"Fair enough," Rossi nodded. He knew better than to press Spencer for information, but he knew he had to do something to distract him. He glanced around the room, looking for any idea as to what they could do. Finally, something caught his eye, and he knew exactly what they were going to do.

"Hey Spencer?"

"Yeah?"

"Mind helping me with something?"

"What do you need help with?" Spencer frowned.

Rossi motioned at the younger agent to join him on the couch he was currently sitting on. After a series of coughs, he did just that. "Stay here; I just have to grab something really fast." Spencer nodded and watched as the older man left the room. He took the opportunity to blow his nose, and he frowned as he realized it was yellow. 'Great, now I'm undeniably sick. So much for just being allergies,' he thought. A few quick minutes later, Rossi came back out with a series of papers and boxes in his hand. He arranged them on the coffee table closest to them, and he gave Spencer the green light to look them over.

"I'm stuck on certain parts, and since you've been on the team longer than I have, I thought you could give me a hand," Rossi explained.

"What is this...?" Spencer mumbled. Of course, they both knew that Spencer was asking a different question all together. _'Why are you doing this, and why me?' _

"Spencer, you know the team better than I ever could. Sure, we all talk and share about our lives to a certain extent, but you were there for the most important events, been apart of and seen moments that could have possibly altered the entire relationship the team's put together. I missed almost all of that, and I need you to help me with this."

"You want me to tell you about personal information that hurt our team and their families?" Spencer glared at Rossi before standing up. Spencer waited for Rossi to respond, something that the older man was slow to catch. He had been taken aback by how defensive Spencer had become, and once again he found himself asking just what had happened to the team all those many years ago.

"I'm sorry Spencer, but this could help so many people! Showing victims that their 'heroes' have gone through just as much torture as they have will help them move on, help them find hope again-"

"Well, I'm sorry. I can't tell you personal information about the team knowing that it'll all be written down in a book so you can get something out for the public again. It's just...It's just not right. Thank you for dragging me out here, but I think I'm going to sleep for a while longer." Before Rossi could protest, Spencer left the room. He inwardly sighed, knowing that he should have realized Spencer wouldn't go for the idea. He honestly meant no harm to him or the team, but he supposed he could understand why he would be upset. He let Spencer leave; he knew better than to force an upset profiler to do something, especially when they were so upset. Instead, he went back to his files and tried to work on new ideas.

~* Merry Christmas *~

He knew he was being irrational, unfair even. Rossi hadn't done anything wrong- in fact, he had done just the opposite. He invited Spencer to spend Christmas with him to make sure he stayed fairly healthy, and he only blew up in his face over a damn book. He shut the door behind him and quickly made his way to his bed. Inwardly sighing, he turned on his lamplight and propped himself against the wall and the bed. Spencer wrapped his arms around himself, finding that his leg hurt too much to bend into his stomach. He whipped his head around to get the hair out of his face, and he looked around the room, trying to come up with a way to apologize. Finally, he decided he knew what he had to do. Reluctantly, Spencer reached inside the bedside desk and shuffled in its drawer in search of supplies.

~* Merry Christmas *~

When Rossi woke up, he knew something was wrong. Quickly, he jumped out of bed and wandered toward his living room. While he briskly walked through the hallway, his eyes caught sight of a daily calendar he had hung up. "Merry Christmas," he sighed. He continued on his way without looking back.

Rossi smiled when he reached the living room. Once again, Spencer had fallen to sleep. 'Why did he come back out here?' he inwardly thought. He sat down on the couch opposite of Spencer when he found the letter.

_'Profiling Profiles: The Faces of the BAU_

_Introduction _

_Serial killers on the loose. Rapists on the run. Killer couples out on the prowl. Teenaged kids looking to rebel from their broken home. _

_The BAU deals with the most insincere, most vile minds in all humanity. Many books, newspapers, online websites, even comic strips have been written about the cases the FBI has dealt with, but very rarely do they talk about the most important aspect of the job, the human aspect. What happens to the victims after they're saved? What about their families? How do the teams that are forced into these scenarios move past the horrors of the job? Most of the time, the truth of the matter is, they don't. No one fully moves on, fully forgets the horrors and the living nightmares that the cases they are connected to, and along with this, there's a very common misconception about the job that needs to be corrected. Why would anyone choose to get inside the mind of a criminal, and why did they start the job in the first place? Was it the desire for hero-worship; to right a wrong from the past; because of the person's own childhood; maybe to feel needed, perhaps? Most likely, if you guessed anything at all, you're right. There is no one reason someone joins the BAU, but in fact there are many. _

_The BAU headquarters in Quantico, Virginia consists of some of the most brilliant minds in the world. In the headquarters lead by Erin Strauss, there is a particular team that has become as close as family, and I am lucky enough to be apart of that very team. Aaron Hotchner and David Rossi lead my team, and the other members are Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, and myself, Spencer Reid, while former members include Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau, Elle Greenway, and Jason Gideon. We are all extremely different, and we have all experienced different things. And although we are commonly classified as everyday heroes, we are something else as well. _

_Victims. _

_Before you read the first chapter in this novel, you should know that I was at first very reluctant to help gather information about my team. Having been through just as much as the rest of my BAU family, I felt that it would be betraying them to write this. David Rossi explained that this would help the victims and their families overcome their traumatic experiences and that it was not intended to hurt them, but I was still unconvinced. I'm sure you're wondering what made me change my mind, but in order to do this, I have to tell you another story, a story about understanding the true meaning of moving on. In order to do that, my flight to Las Vegas had to be canceled; I had to get sick the week of Christmas; a good friend had to allow me into their company for Christmas, and we had to have a conversation that neither of us wanted to, a conversation concerning the past. _

The text on the page suddenly came to a halt, and Rossi immediately flipped the page. Finding himself engrossed in the writing, he continued reading.

_Our conversation wasn't perfect, but it was perfect enough. We discussed things that neither of us had spoken about before, and even though some of the words weren't spoken aloud, we still understood, because there are certain things that words can't describe accurately enough; and that, I realize now, is the first key to moving on._

_Later that night, Rossi asked me to help him with this exact novel. As I said before, I forcefully told him no, and I almost immediately regretted it. I wanted to be mad at him for trying to tell the world about Aaron Hotchner's alcoholic father, Penelope Garcia' s troubled childhood, Emily Prentiss' foreign adventures, or even Derek Morgan's abusive mentor. Above it all, I realized, was that I didn't want him to tell the world about my past, about my truths. I soon convinced myself that I was being selfish and pitiful to try to keep things that are no longer secret from common knowledge when they in fact are already just that. I understood that my BAU team wanted to help others above rescuing them; they wanted to give them closure and comfort, and by publishing this novel, we can do just that. _

_You should know up-front that we all aren't proud of some things from our past, but rather than hiding in it, we're pushing forward. The victims that we've helped feel the same way, and I hope this shines light on a gray area that needs to be resolved. _

Rossi stopped reading and smiled to himself. 'The kid took the bait,' he thought. Rossi silently collected the papers and decided to make a brew of coffee. Just as he turned around, Spencer Reid made his way to him from the living room. "Merry Christmas," Rossi smiled.

"I see you found them," Spencer noted quietly. "I didn't finish; I just gave you the basics that you probably didn't know," he sighed.

Rossi nodded his head, agreeing with him. "Yes, well, I didn't read past the introduction."

"Why not?" the younger man frowned.

A small smile formed on his face as he passed the papers back to him. "Sometimes, writing can be the best form of therapy, don't you think?"

"You weren't ever going to publish it, were you?"

"No, I wasn't," Rossi admitted. "But you needed to talk things out, and no matter how hard I tried, you kept pushing me away. So I set the trap, and you took the bait."

Spencer nodded silently, once more wrapping his arms around his thin frame. Rossi walked closer to the younger agent and gently placed his arm on his thin shoulder. "How about we have some Christmas breakfast before we exchange?"

"Exchange what?" Spencer asked, feigning confusion.

"I know there's a gold-wrapped box in your bag, and I know you saw the red bag with your name on it underneath the tree," Rossi smiled.

"Oh, right," Spencer blushed.

"Come it, let's get you some coffee."

~* Merry Christmas *~

Spencer and Rossi were once again sitting in the living room but this time with two new items- a bag and a box. The two men wordlessly exchanged the two presents and simultaneously opened them.

Rossi pulled back the gold paper to reveal a dark wooden box with a gold latch. He swung it open and took out the object inside it. He smiled as he lifted the object up, letting it shine in the dimly lit room. The watch was gold with a white face. Its arms swung with every passing second in matching gold colors. It was a beautiful watch, and they both knew it.

Spencer gently pulled the strings that tied the bag shut together, and he placed an elegant hand inside. He pulled out a small jewelry box and immediately opened it. He couldn't suppress a smile of his own from forming on his face as he fingered the dainty charm, wondering silently how he knew. He reached inside the messenger bag sitting opposite of him for the chain he kept with him. On it already were an eagle, a butterfly, a rose, and a cross. He carefully attached the pure silver and blue snowflake with the rest of the charms. He examined the extremely detailed piece before placing it down for a moment. He looked up at Rossi and gave him a questioning look. "How did you know?"

"The Riley Jenkins case," Rossi admitted. "I saw the chain in your father's pocket and then a similar one on your mother's purse. I figured there was some value to them, but all the charms were different," Rossi hesitated, as if debating whether or not his question was appropriate. Understanding, Spencer answered the unspoken question.

"My father was given one when he was a child. He only put one charm on it- the one that it came with- but he used to always wear it. When he married my mom, he bought her one as well, and they just deiced to keep the tradition. I was given a few throughout the years, but after my father left, I never got another one...until now," he smiled.

"Why haven't you told anyone before?" Rossi asked.

"I never saw a need to," Spencer sighed. Knowing that some rocks were better left not looked at at, Rossi let the topic go.

Suddenly, Rossi stood up and beckoned Spencer to follow him. Spencer quickly placed the charm bracelet into his pocket and followed the older man. They made their way out to the back patio, where the two men could see the great white wilderness to perfection. They leaned against the railing as the life around them continued peacefully, and within seconds, they were both smiling again.

"Merry Christmas, Spencer," Rossi said again.

Spencer nervously tucked a stray strabd of hair behind his ear before smiling back. "Yeah, Merry Christmas."

`* Merry Christmas *~

**I cannot believe I actually finished! Yeees! Thnx everyone for reading! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I hope you enjoyed, Fairytopia! Happy holidays everyone! And also, it's not too late to join my contest! **


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